52 GOLF ASSOCIATION OF PHILADELPHIA Visit the Golf Association of Philadelphia website at www.gapgolf.org for all the latest news and notes
HE PASSION PERMEATES from the
pavement.
When his term as Blue Bell Country Club’s Golf Chairman ended in
1998, Bob Harris sought another volunteer outlet. He found it following a
two-hour commute to Delaware.
“[During a Chairmen’s Meeting], I saw Fred
[Christman, former Golf Association of Philadel-
phia Director of Competitions] and said, ‘Are
you still looking for course raters?’” Harris, 69,
of Blue Bell, Pa., said. “He said, ‘Absolutely. As
a matter of fact, if you’re willing to drive down
to Wild Quail (Golf & Country Club) on Satur-
day morning, they’re doing a seminar. Here’s
your book. Go represent us. You’re it.’ I went
down there. I was it. I remember sitting there
and not having a clue what they were talking
Twenty years and 20,000 miles (at least)
later, Harris is still taking trips – even more of
the Wild Quail variety given the Association’s
expansion – for the sake of statistics. His latest
destination, Indian Valley Country Club for Vol-
unteers Day Oct. 15, yielded an addition to the
course rating cargo. He received the organiza-
tion’s 2018 Volunteer of the Year Award.
“I’m just honored,” Harris, an Old York Road
Country Club member, said. “I don’t do it for
honors like this; I do it because I love to do
it. I love to play. I love to do the ratings. I love
volunteering.”
“Bob goes above and beyond for the Asso-
ciation. Wherever we need him and whenever
we need him, Bob will be there,” John Manos,
the GAP’s Director of Course Rating, added.
“He has traveled out to Gettysburg for me, up
to Scranton and everywhere in between. He
has taken new course raters under his wing
and has taught them the course rating system
in no time. Bob is the ultimate volunteer, and
without him our course rating service would
The Bob Harris booklet includes 129 different
golf courses rated. Proof is in an Excel spread-
sheet that catalogs team set-ups for each venue
visited, number of holes reviewed and by
whom, etc.
“That’s just who I am. I just love keeping
records,” Harris said. “I enjoy all of the courses we
rate. Every course has something unique to it.”
Harris, a course rating team captain since
2005, is quick to credit a collection of names
within that spreadsheet: Don Fagnan, Terry Fair,
Robert Felter, Dick Geesaman, Jane Glass, Tere-
sa Hillegass, George Kawchak, Linda Kennedy,
John O’Rourke, Terry Radcliffe and Marty Sher-
man. Former Volunteer of the Year recipients
Ed Brzezowski (2012) and Jack Hoffman (2015)
also wield influence. Naturally, Wynn, his wife
of 48 years, is a member of the Harris course
rating family. She and her husband share a
life, a business in BMC Benefit Services and an
enthusiasm for course rating and volunteerism.
“We always talk about course rating. It’s just
part of our culture at this point,” Bob said.
“We decided it would be fun to work together on it,” Wynn, 69, added. “He’s passionate
about whatever he does. I think that carries
over into course rating. He doesn’t put in the
minimum amount of effort. There are people
who are into course rating because they get
to play cool courses. We do get to play cool
courses, but Bob’s not in it for that. It’s truly a
labor of love.”
BOB BECAME INTERESTED in the sport at age 10, grabbing clubs out of his father Marv’s golf bag and proceeding to putt
around the house. Early playing stops included
Juniata Golf Club, Walnut Lane Golf Club and
the now defunct Pinetown Golf Course.
Oh, and there’s this nugget.
“My next-door neighbor was Al Sussman,
who built what was originally called York Road
Country Club and is now The Bucks Club. For
my 13th birthday, he gave me the first mem-
bership,” Harris said. “He used to come home
with the drawings when he was building it.
We’d sit on the front porch, and he’d show me
architectural drawings. It was just fascinating.”
That fascination with golf, that diligence for
data continue to steer Harris along the volun-
teer road. The miles don’t matter – just another
statistic in his spreadsheet.
“I like being out there and meeting a lot of
nice people. I enjoy the whole process. The
GAP staff is phenomenal,” Harris said. “I’ve had
a great time. It’s amazing watching the growth
of the Association and how professional it’s
become.” – Tony Regina m
Volunteer of the Year
Bob Harris I Old York Road Country Club
TI don’t do it for honors like this; I do it because I love to do it. I love
to play. I love to do
the ratings. I love
volunteering.”
“
